Information and photos on french lavender and the best markets of Provence, France.

March 03, 2016

There is still room on the July trip to Provence. Join us for this 7 day adventure and witness the lavender harvest. The sights, scents and even the hum of the bees is an experience you will never forget!

The Lavender Tour 7 days- July 2-9, 2016

Spend a week in Provence with us at the peak of the lavender harvest. We have a private villa with a shaded terrace and pool as our home for the week. Explore ancient fortified villages nearby, local markets, a private wine tasting and tour, lunch in a French friend’s home and a chance to see the harvest first hand.* Get a breathtaking view of the nearby lavender fields on your first day, and again later in the week at the magical hour of sunset.

For those interested in sketching or painting, we offer opportunities to spend more time at certain sites, so that your creative juices can flow and you can find subjects of interest to you. Capture this magical place with your camera, pencil, brushes or in your memory forever.

December 30, 2015

- Painting under the same olive trees where Van Gogh found inspiration for over 143 oil paintings and more than 100 drawings.

- Sketching a narrow alleyway in the medieval village of Vaison-la-Romaine.

- Capturing in the dappled sunlight of a cherry orchard in bloom.

Join us this spring as we find creative inspiration and capture the beautiful vistas and vignettes on paper and canvas in the South of France.

We will personally welcome you to either the Marseille airport or the Avignon train station. Enjoy the view as we transport you to our “home” for the next 9 nights at our rustic, yet elegant villa. Feel right at home by sharing a short bio. and get to know other like-minded souls on the trip. At the villa, take quick nap or just relax poolside over snacks and beverages. This afternoon is an orientation and welcome reception on the terrace followed by dinner** in the charming village of St. Cécile-les-Vignes.

The village is just a short stroll from our place. If you are an "early bird" watch the village come to life, stop in for a croissant and café or if you prefer to sleep in, breakfast at the villa is provided daily.

Sunday unleash your creativity in our village of St. Cécile-les-Vignes, sketching as you discover the churches and narrow alleys of this city. This evening we are invited to a friend’s local winery for a tour and tasting**. St. Cécile-Les-Vignes, means Saint Cecilia in the vines!

Monday we travel a scenic route through vineyards and olive groves to reach the small hamlet of les Baux-de Bédoin Equipped with chairs, art supplies and materials, find the perfect perspective amongst the cherry trees in bloom, in the courtyard of a friend’s home, at the café, or wherever your eye is drawn. We will stroll back to our hostesses home for a typical French lunch**. The day winds up with a drive up Mont Ventoux,home of a Tour de France stage and a breathtaking panoramic view from the 6,000 ft. summit.

Tuesday: Vaison-la-Romaine, as the name implies, was a playground for the Romans and ruins from this time still exist there today. Prepare for a sensory feast…it’s market day! Take in the sounds of gypsy jazz, artistically arranged produce, the sumptuous scents, colorful fabrics and joie-de-vivre always present at a Provencal market. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant or decide to picnic with a view of the old Roman bridge which is still used today (with your freshly purchased cheese, baguette, pastries and perhaps provençal tablecloth). Scout out a picturesque scene or object for your next project and start working on it today or commence tomorrow.

You have all day Wednesday to continue or start work at your own pace. Don’t forget to cross that Roman bridge to explore the meandering alleyways and passages in the medieval part of the city.

Thursday visit another part of Provence, with a landscape of olive and cypress trees so familiar in the paintings of Van Gogh. We’ll have free time to explore the elegant streets of St. Rémy-de-Provence and visit the asylum** where he painted many of his best-known works. Enjoy the afternoon on the asylum grounds or painting under the olive trees in this peaceful and picturesque spot.

Friday we visit the remarkable Dentelles de Montmirail Mountains nearby. Walk through the village to the the small botanical garden and learn a bit about the local flora, visit an art gallery, taste the famous Gigondas wines, or just stroll the winding streets of this charming village looking for the perfect image to work on. There are several choices here for lunch or you can request a picnic lunch**, as we offer every day (when out in the field working on art). This is always an option and included in your tour, so you do not have to interrupt your flow.

Saturday morning we enjoy our local market of St. Cécile . This afternoon is an optional outing to the nearby village of Grignan**. The castle here is rated one of the best to visit in Provence. Madame Sevigné wrote many of her famous letters from this castle and it has 3 been beautifully restored to it’s medieval glory.

Sunday’s excursion is to Aix-en-Provence, also known as Paris of the south. Wide tree-lined boulevards, elegant cafés and lovely fountains define this city. We will visit Paul Cézanne’s nearby studio**. It is here, on the Lauves hill, among the objects he treasured, the models of his last still lifes, his furniture and his work tools, that you will feel the painter’s presence most intensely. From 1902 until his death in 1906, Cézanne worked every morning in this studio of light and silence, the birthplace of dozens of paintings that are now owned by the world’s great museums. This evening is our farewell dinner**.

Monday we head to the airport to either travel back home, or continue our artistic experience in nearby Mallorca Spain, home of Joan Miro. With it’s incredible blue water, rustic mountains and dreamy landscape of almond and fig trees, choose to continue your creative experience in Spain.

TOUR PRICE; $2,950 per person based on double occupancy $3,550 single price.

What’s included:

-9 nights lodging (double occupancy)

transportation to and from the airport and on all excursions -the service of an experienced guide* and translator

2 dinners

sack/picnic lunches on art days over lunch hour

breakfast daily -lunch at a French friend’s home

wine tasting and tour

admission to Van Gogh asylum, Grignan castle, Lauves,

stools/chairs and or easels if requested

*Beth has been traveling to this corner of Provence for over 20 years and Beth and Lisa have been organizing tours with this villa and village as a base for over 10 years. We speak French, know the village and surrounding areas well and can help you find interesting subjects for your art. We are here to make to help you enjoy this beautiful place and to take care of the details so that you can focus on your art. **These items are included in the tour price.

Info. Links; http://essencedeprovence.typepad.com/lavender/ Facebook; Experience Provence and Beyond To see a short video with highlights from this area click here. Look for Experience Provence & Beyond on Facebook as well.

August 31, 2015

The charming village of Grignan is only a 30 minute drive from our home town of St. Cécile-les-Vignes and we are excited add a visit next summer on the Experience Provence 10 day tour. We invite you to join us!

Dating back to the 11th century the village is dominated by a large chateau with fortifications built in the 12th century and a new wall and towers around the village constructed in the 13th century. The castle was destroyed during the French Revolution but was recently restored in the 20th century by a private citizen who then donated it to the province so that all could enjoy this historical gem and imagine what it looked like in the past.

This amazing Renaissance castle is famous for it’s connection with Madame de Sévigné, who wrote many letters to her daughter, Madame de Grignan who lived here in the 17th century, and she also wrote some of the letters while staying at the castle.

If you are like me, you may recognize the name, but not be familiar with her work . Et voila a possible reason: The letters, although widely read and circulated in the French-speaking world and among cultivated readers of other lands they were not readily translated into English until recently. Although not all published or signed, she was a prolific writer composing over 1,120 letters!

French school children often read her works, as she is known as an icon of French literature. A few of her best-known admirers range from Horace Walpole in the eighteenth century to Marcel Proust, Virginia Woolf, and Thornton Wilder in the twentieth. Another reason that she is not so well known to us is because the genre she embraced was that of an épistolière, a writer of letters to friends, family and business contacts, although in this case they were mostly to her daughter Madame de Grignan.

We will visit the grounds, the castle and the charming medieval village of Grignan, which is also well-known for its roses! Grignan has over 150 varieties of roses displayed throughout the village from April through June.

July 27, 2015

This year on our Experience Provence Tours we visited Le Mont Ventoux. Unless you are a cycling fan or are familiar with Provence, you may have never heard of this place, but as this year’s guests can attest, it is an incredible place. As the Tour de France is about to finish, I thought you might be interested to learn a few facts about the “Giant of Provence”.

The elevation is at the top is1912m. This has been a Tour de France Stage more than 10 times and has also been the site of the Tour de France finish line. From Bedoin at 300m to the summit, this route is 21.5m with an average incline of 7.5% (which may not seem SO bad) but remember that is the average and some sections are 11%-12%!

You can reach the summit 3 ways and it is a hotly contested issue whether the Bedoin ascent or the Malaucene is the most difficult.

The mountain is known as the Beast of Provence, and some people refer to it as the Bald Mountain, because it was deforested and now just has bare limestone on the summit. It appears to be covered by snow all year, but this is only true occasionally in the winter.

Mont Ventoux is associated with very strong winds, in fact speeds of more than 200 mph have been recorded at the top. The roads high up on the slopes are often closed due to strong gusts.

So how long does it take to cycle up to Mt. Ventoux? I have asked a few people at the top (apparently not professional athletes….who said 3 ½ hours). I have a cyclist friend who can do it in an hour and a half, but the current record for ascending Mont Ventoux is held by Spanish cyclist Iban Mayo. In the 2004 edition of the Dauphineé Libéré race a mountain time trial was held from Bedoin to the summit and Mayo climbed the mountain in an unbelievable 55' 51". Unfortunately due to recent developments, almost all of the top 10 fastest times up the Ventoux posted during that time trial are tainted with doping allegations.

n 1967, Tom Simpson, a British cyclist competing in the Tour de France, died ascending Mont Ventoux. He was suffering from a combination of heat exhaustion, alcohol and amphetamines. He was weaving wildly on the bike before he fell down asking spectators to “put me back on the bike!” He then rode to 1.5km of the summit before collapsing, still clipped to his pedals. A memorial to him has been erected on the mountain close to the spot where he died.

The cycle ride from Bedoin to Mont Ventoux is thought to be one of the most physically challenging climbs in the world.

May 27, 2015

We have all heard stories of Americans in France (usually Paris) who experience the rude waiter or shopkeeper. I think with a little understanding, this can easily be avoided, as this is just a cultural difference with regards to dining and the importance of cooking and food in France.

When entering a store or restaurant, you should always greet the proprietor or staff with a “bonjour Madame or bonjour Messieur”. They may say this to you first, and you can just reply with the same phrase. After about 6pm this turns into “bonsoir”. The same applies when you depart. Au revoir (Oh ruvwahr) Madame or Monsieur.

When you decide to go to a restaurant or café, even a casual one, you will often see the special of the day written on a blackboard outside called the “formule”. This is usually a good deal. For example you could find a posting saying 15E for either the entrée (small dish like appetizer) and plat (main dish) or the plat and dessert. You might also see posted 19E for entrée, plat and dessert or coffee. There are usually a few choices in each category to choose from but not always. This is a great way to try lots of interesting things without a big bill.

When you decide to go in and be seated, they will hand you a menu, but they will also tell you the “plat du jour” (plate of the day) or “formule”. You can order “à la carte” as well but it is often more expensive by the time you add everything up.

When you have decided what you’d like to order, close the menu and set it on the table as this is your cue to the staff that you are ready to order. Often they will ask what you’d like to drink first. If you just want some tap water, ask for a “carafe d’eau” (kahrahf dough). If they ask whether you would like still or bubbles, they are assuming that you want bottled water.

If more than one person is interested in wine, a demi carafe (half carafe) is an affordable and usually local or regional wine. You can also order a “carafe” or a bottle. You have the choice of white (blanc), rosé or red (rouge). White and rosé are served cold. Rosé is not the “white zinfandel” you may be used to but a lovely light dryer wine, perfect for hot summer days.

The waiter will ask your choice of entrée, and plat but doesn’t want to know what you want for dessert at this time, you can decide about that later. A coffee is often ordered at the end of the meal, but not required. It will be an espresso. For those of you wanting decaf, yes it is available and known as (daykah). Coffee with milk is usually only for the morning but if you want a milky coffee like café au lait, it is called crème in the south. Espresso with just a little cream (like macchiato) is a noisette.

The waiter/waitress will not be stopping by the table to ask, “how’s everything tasting”, but discreetly watching you from a distance so as not to interrupt your meal and conversation. If you need something, just a slight wave of a hand should bring them over. (Forget the "garçon" stereotype).

When you are ready for the bill, you will again waive him or her over and ask for the “addition” s’il vous plait, (see voo play). They will not come over to ask if you have finished and are ready for the bill. When you decide to take a table, it is yours until you are ready to leave. You must tell them when you are ready to leave. There is no rush. This is your table until you decide to leave.

Being a waiter or waitress is a profession in France and the staff is trained and paid accordingly for this job. The tip is usually included but if you’d like to leave an extra 1 or 2 Euro for good service that is appreciated, but not expected. A 15% tip would be too much.

If you decide to sit down for lunch or dinner at a restaurant, be sure that you have an hour or more to spend there. The French consider cooking to be an art and it should be enjoyed and appreciated in a relaxed manner. If you do not have time for this, a place called “snacking” might be more appropriate. Bakeries often have very affordable items that you can take “to go”, like quiche or sandwiches that you can eat when and where you’d like.

When we expect to have a quick lunch in 20-30 minutes, and seem frustrated that the waiter is not coming to ask what we want next, or leaving the bill on the table, this can be mistaken for rudeness. However this is simply a cultural difference. So relax and enjoy your meal. Even if you don’t know exactly what or how to say something, any attempt is usually warmly welcomed.

April 27, 2015

We are renting a lovely home in Marseille. When we first met the owner upon arrival, she took me on a short excursion in the neighborhood. Our first (or premier) visit was to the "primeur". This is a fruit and vegetable shop. She introduced us as if we would become best friends. Now that we have been here for a while I understand why this was important. The primeur is your private source for the first vegetables and fruits of the season. He offers mostly products grown in the region and only items that are currently in season. When the quality of your food is paramount, as it is in Provence, this becomes very important.

You don't visit this primeur when you are in a hurry. When it is my turn (and there is always a line) I tell Gérard that I would like some tomatoes, tell him how many and ask which are the best. On my last visit I got the "Sicilian tomatoes from the volcanic lands" to try. Yes the Etna tomatoes are incredible! So one by one I tell him how many of what I'd like, as I'm pondering possible meals while he patiently gathers my items, weighs them and asks "what's next". It is also quite acceptable to ask about the best way to prepare the veggie, share recipe ideas or discuss the quality, while the line increases without any visible impatience on the part of the customers in the queue. This has become one of my favorite excursions. It's like a "meetup" for foodies.

The "traiteur" has a lovely shop with prepared foods, but also sausage, raw meat, condiments, wine, beer, and anything you could ever imagine for the perfect gourmet picnic. On my last visit to get some brandade de morue (salted cod/olive oil paste)* I saw this plaque which sums it all up;

March 17, 2015

Celebrate in Provence – by Beth Vosoba

My favorite part of organizing and leading the Experience Provence tours with Lisa, has been witnessing and celebrating so many special occasions together. You can choose to throw a party that lasts one day, or you can share an experience that will last a lifetime. There are still a few rooms available on both the 10 day and 7 day tours for this summer, so let us know if you know of someone who would like to celebrate life this summer in this magical place.

We have celebrated many important birthdays, but one of my favorites was when Jill turned 60 and decided to invite her 3 friends to join her at the destination of her choice. This was a pact they’d always had. Jill dreamed of seeing the lavender fields of Provence and we had a very memorable evening watching the sun set while they celebrated not only her birthday but also the longevity and strength of their friendship.

Our most frequent guest, Lee started traveling on our tour back in 2008. Lee speaks french, takes language classes in France and has been coming with us almost every year since that first time. She has since invited her sister Elaine, who has also joined us for several years. Last year Elaine brought her husband too!

We have had a mother/daughter-in-law trip, Professional photographer John Nickerson and his wife (who took this great group picture) who checked the lavender fields of Provence trip off his bucket list a few years ago, and even a grandmother who brought her two children and granddaughter!

Last year three sisters all made their first trip to Europe…. together and did they have fun! One wanted to roll and frolic in the fields and here she is! After a long battle fighting cancer Mona pledged that if she won the fight, she would take this trip with her sisters. Voila….a memorable time for them all.

The first tour we took was with University students studying photography. Paul, also a professional photographer, had such fond memories of that time that last summer, that 8 years later he brought his wife, new baby, mother, aunt, brother and family friends. Another mother and son in this photo spent this special time together before he leaves for college this year.

Lisa and I are looking so forward to sharing more special times with this year’s guests. Please let us know if any of you are celebrating on this trip, or if you know of others who would also like to join us.

February 27, 2015

When the sun is out and the mistral (fierce wind found in the Mediterranean region) is not howling, we head to the Calanques, only a 30 minute drive to the trailhead from the Vieux Port of Marseille. Also easy to do by city bus.

This is the hamlet of Morgiou.

A view of Marseille from the trail head for Sormiou.

A calanque is an inlet or cove with steep walls that is found along the Mediterranean coast. It is carved by either fluvial erosion or the collapse of the roof of a cave that has been partially submerged by a rise in sea level.

"The Torpedo" is the name of this little island near Sugiton.

So far we have hiked around the Sormiou, Sugiton and Morgiou Calanques. Below are images of Cap de Morgiou. After the hike we noticed a sign explaining that below where we were standing, a secret cave was recently (1985) discovered, called Cosquer Cave. It lies 121 ft. underwater. The cave was once inhabited during the Paleolithic period when the sea level was much lower than it is today. The walls are covered with paintings and engravings of bison, ibex, horses as well as sea mammals like seals, dating back between 27,000-19,000 B.C.

January 21, 2015

We first discovered moroccan cuisine and the tajine, (a cooking pot and also the name of the dish prepared in it) in Marseille a few years ago. The tajine is a clay pot which can be glazed or unglazed which comes in 2 pieces. A basin or dish on the bottom and a domed lid that captures the condensation, returning it to the bottom. Traditionally cooked for many hours over coals, our modern method modifies this practice by placing the clay pot on a diffuseur to cook. The tajine must be soaked in water for several hours before using the first time. (We actually always soak it before using).

We invited guests for lunch on Sunday, and since our tajine is at home, went out on a quest for a tajine to use here in Marseille. Saturday morning we headed to the Marché du Soleil, which is like beaming yourself into a souk in North Africa. Either you love or hate it but it won't leave you indifferent. This souk consists mostly of clothing but also some houseware items. Located at the ave. Camille Pelletan and rue du Bon Pasteur, close to the porte d'Aix. We did not find a tajine here however so continued on to the Marché du Capucins (a.k.a. Marché de Noailles) near the Old Port, on the rue de Capucins, just off the Canibiere.

This Magreb market is truly a sensory overload, between the spices and clementines, the scent of fresh breads and the colorful tiles and lights in the meat market. We found a great little shop with many tajines to choose from, spices, the preserved lemons and olives needed.

Our favorite tajine is lamb with brussel sprouts, green olives and some squash or sweet potato. We found pumpkin at the market so tried that this time. Dates, figs, apricots or raisins can also create a sweet component that goes well with the spices. The pastry shop in this neighborhhood is a must on the next visit. Located catty-corner from the moroccan tajine store, at the intersection of rue de l'Academie and rue d'Aubagne.

January 15, 2015

I am starting to really appreciate the graffiti found everywhere in Marseille. Perhaps it is less the defacing of a lovely old building, than a way of keeping an old neighborhood alive and current, a modern expression of art and sentiment. This afternoon's stroll through the quiet winter streets of the Panier (the oldest part of Marseille) revealed opinions perhaps spoken behind the closed shutters this time of the year, by families at the dinner table, by hooligans on the street, kids after school, or as official statements posted from City Hall, that might otherwise be only verbal and private conversations...not sentiments to be shared publicly.